An “asparagus eating contest” made of asparagus and carved pumpkins is on display on the sidelines of the Giant Vegetable Competition in Klaistow, northeastern Germany, on September 20, 2015. The vegetable giants compete in seven categories. (Photo by Bernd Settnik/AFP Photo)

A man dressed as Father Frost, the equivalent of Santa Claus, and Snow Maiden takes part in the contest “Yolka-fest-2016” (Fir-festival-2016) in Minsk, Belarus December 9, 2016. (Photo by Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

Female body builders flex their muscles as they compete in the 2nd Women Sports Model contest in Guwahati on April 2, 2023. (Photo by Biju Boro/AFP Photo)

Participant Elena Tsagrinou of Cyprus performs during first semi-final of the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands on May 18, 2021. (Photo by Piroschka Van de Wouw/Reuters)

Maltese singer Emma Muscat attends the turquoise carpet of the 66th Eurovision Song Contest at Reggia di Venaria Reale on May 08, 2022 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Stefania D'Alessandro/Getty Images)

Tamta of Cyprus arrives at the 64th Eurovision Song Contest held at Tel Aviv Fairgrounds on May 12, 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Amir Cohen/Reuters)

A model is reflected in the mirror applying makeup during the Mr. and Mrs. Kibera leadership contest, on International Youth Day, in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, August 12, 2025. (Photo by Brian Inganga/AP Photo)

The National Geographic Photo Ark is a travelling exhibition of photographer Joel Sartore’s quest to create a photo archive of biodiversity around the world. So far, Sartore has captured studio portraits of more than 6,000 species – a number that he hopes to double. On 1 July, the ark will open at Melbourne zoo – the first time it has been exhibited in the southern hemisphere. More than 50 portraits will be on display, including many of Australian endangered animals being protected by programs at the zoo itself. These captions have been edited from text supplied by Melbourne zoo. Here: Barking owl. (Photo by Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark/The Guardian)